Bulldogs Top Penn to Capture ECAC Title

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Elizabeth Topp scored the game-winning goal with 3:20 left in the second half, as the Yale field hockey team defeated Penn, 2-1, in the ECAC championship game at Johnson Field on Saturday afternoon. The victory marked the second season in a row the Bulldogs have won the ECAC title, while Jana Halfon, who created scoring chances throughout the game for Yale, was named MVP.

The Bulldogs fell behind early, as Penn's Liz Lorelli scored an unassisted goal with 13:54 left in the first half. Three minutes and 54 seconds later, Stephanie Dolmat-Connell tied the game, deflecting a pass from Lindsay Collins.

The contest remained deadlocked until late in the second half when Topp slipped through the Penn defense to score the game-winner. Krissy Nesburg made two stops for the Bulldogs, who outshot Penn 16-6 overall and 12-3 in the second half.

Yale, which held a slight 8-6 edge in penalty corners, finished the season with a 12-6 record.

"I think it's phenomenal that we've been able to maintain our program at such a high level," said Yale head coach Ainslee Lamb following her team's second straight ECAC title. "This is a testament to everyone's hard work."

The Bulldogs' win makes them the first back-to-back ECAC field hockey champion in 20 years.